How can the Cardinals upgrade their bench?

The Cardinals bench leaves a lot to be desired.  As a team, the Cardinals subs are hitting just .198 with a .555 OPS. 

Other than backup catcher Tony Cruz, who is hitting .292, and Jon Jay, who is hitting .279 while splitting time in center with Peter Bourjos (.210), the Cardinals have gotten little or no production from their bench.

Other than those two, the Cards do not have anyone on their bench hitting over the Mendoza line.  Utility infielder, Daniel Descalso, is not known as a great hitter, but his .172 average is far below his normal level.  Backup second baseman Mark Ellis is hitting .181 and the 5th outfielder shuttle of Shane Robinson (.156), Randal Grichuk (.143) and Joey Butler (0 for 5) haven't fared much better.

So, how can the Cardinals improve their bench?

Well, for one, they can promote Oscar Taveras or Stephen Piscotty.  Taveras is hitting .325/.373/.524 and Piscotty is hitting .292/.330/.426 for AAA Memphis.  Either one could be an upgrade over Robinson and could rotate in the outfield spots to give the team's veterans a rest.

Another potential upgrade would be Aledmys Diaz as a utility infielder.  Unfortunately, he has been sidelined since April 26th due to a shoulder injury.  However, once healthy, he would be a upgrade over Deslcaso and is capable of playing second, third and short.

As for Ellis, the Cards are probably stuck with him, as he is looking like this year's version of Ty Wigginton.  Hopefully the team has learned their lesson and will stop signing 35+ year old veteran infielders to fill out their bench. 

Finally, although Tony Cruz has hit well in his limited role as Yadier Molina's backup, the team needs to find someone that Mike Matheny can rely on more so that he doesn't overwork Molina.  Yadi played in 136 games last year and it showed in his second half numbers.

In the first half of the season, Molina hit .341/.386/.489, but he finished the year hitting just .280/.309/.456.  Some extra rest here and there would do a lot to ensure that drop off does not happen again. 

Unfortunately, the Cardinals best catching prospects, Steve Bean and converted third baseman Carson Kelly, are both splitting catching duties for low A Peoria and are not an option, so any catching help will have to come from the outside. 

There are some internal options to improve the bench.  We could see one of those options (most likely Taveras) as early as June 4th and, once he's healthy, Diaz should be able to replace Descalso.  Those two could go a long way to improving the overall performance of the bench.

This time the Cardinals Kolten Wong appears to be getting it right

In many ways, Kolten Wong was the poster child for the Cardinals offensive struggles at the beginning of the season.  While the team was struggling with a .246 average in March and April, Wong didn't help matters, hitting .225 with a.544 OPS.

Never mind that other players were also struggling who were counted on to produce (I'm looking at you Allen Craig), the Cardinals felt the need to make an example out of Wong and sent him to the minors.

To his credit, Wong did not sulk or pout.  He took the demotion as a challenge and tore up AAA pitching to the tune of .344/.382/.484 in 15 games, earning a promotion back to the Cardinals.  Of course, it didn't hurt that his replacement at second base, Mark Ellis, hit only .204 in his absence.

So, Wong got his second chance and thus far he's made the most of it.

Since his return, Wong is hitting .364/.432/.455 and has found a home in the second spot in the batting order.  He has helped spark the Cardinals offense while raising his season average to .269.

The Cardinals offense should kick into gear at some point.  Guys like Allen Craig and Peter Bourjos are starting to show signs of life and top prospect Oscar Taveras could come up next week to DH during the interleague game at the AL parks.

But having a guy at the top of the order who can get on base and wreck havoc will help this team manufacture runs when needed.

Jaime Garcia set to return to Cardinals rotation and other notes

Tyler Lyons was placed on the 15-day DL today, one day after getting roughed up by the Cubs.  While that is an interesting move (considering that Mike Matheny left him in the game long enough to give up 9 runs in 4 innings), what is more interesting is who might replace him in the rotation...Jaime Garcia.

Garcia pitched 5 innings on Monday for AAA Memphis, giving up just 2 runs on 3 hits, while striking out 5.  It was just his second rehab appearance, but speculation has already begun that he will get the call for the Cardinals on Saturday.

If Garcia makes the start on Saturday, it will be one year to the day from his last major league start, which came on May 17, 2013 against the Brewers. 

It will be interesting to see if he still has the same stuff as he had before his shoulder issues.  Shoulder injuries are the most difficult to come back from as a pitcher, so here's hoping for the best for Garcia.

In other news, GM John Mozeliak indicated that Kolten Wong could be recalled soon.  He's reportedly "checked all the boxes" while hitting .344/.382/.484 in 15 games since his demotion.

The Cardinals are certainly looking for any kind of spark to their offense (as long as it does not involve calling up Oscar Taveras before June) and Mark Ellis (.203/.273/237) hasn't exactly been tearing it up as Wong's replacement.

Finally, the Cards continue to shuffle the back end of their bullpen, calling up both lefty Sam Freeman and righty Jorge Rondon, while sending down Eric Fornataro and placing Lyons on the DL.  However, their stays may be short as one of them will be replaced by Garcia this weekend, while the other could soon be replaced by the rehabbing Jason Motte.

Motte has yet to give up a run in 5 appearances between AA Springfield and AAA Memphis (4.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 walk, 3 K's) and his return would certainly provide a boost to the Cardinals pen.

Does the Cardinals' Greg Garcia have what it takes to start at second base?

With the demotion of Kolten Wong and the promotion of infielder Greg Garcia, fantasy baseball players everywhere were left asking the question:  Will Greg Garcia start?

Its a legitimate question, as the Cardinals other option, Mark Ellis, is currently hitting .100 (2 for 20), however, is Garcia a legitimate starting second baseman for a major league team?

Short answer--probably not, but that's not to say that Garcia doesn't have his merits.

Over 5 seasons in the minors, he has compiled a .280/.385/.411 line.  He has a little pop, with a career high 10 homers in 2012 and he can steal a base on occasion,  with 14 stolen bases in 2013.

However, what is most impressive about Garcia is his eye and ability to get on base.  In his 2012 breakout season, he drew 80 walks against 83 strikeouts finishing the year with a .408 OBP. 

His minor league stats are very similar to Ellis, who put up a .293/.393/.419 line in the minors prior to his first callup.

Best case scenario - Garcia, who hits left handed, forms a platoon with the right handed Ellis and gets the majority of the at bats while Wong sorts things out in the minors.

Worst case scenario - Garcia spends a month with the team as a pinch-hitter, defensive replacement before being sent back down to the minors when Wong is deemed ready.

While its unlikely that Garcia will make a big impact during his current stay, he could eventually replace the light-hitting and overused Daniel Descalso as the Cardinals primary utility infielder.

Cardinals look to shake thing up by demoting Kolten Wong

With their offense continuing to struggle, the Cardinals decided to shake things up by demoting second baseman Kolten Wong to AAA.  Wong has certainly struggled on the season, hitting just .225/.276/.268, but he is not the only one.

Shortstop Jhonny Peralta (.195/.290/.476) is not doing much to make Cardinals fans forget about Pete Kozma and his offensive struggles.  "Clutch" hitter Allen Craig is sporting a .177 average and just 6 rbi's and offseason acquisition Peter Bourjos has lost his starting job to Jon Jay thanks in large part to his .163 average.

Unfortunately, the Cards cannot demote their entire team, so they are making this change to try to light a fire under the team.

The Cardinals have recalled Greg Garcia to replace Wong on the roster. Mark Ellis should get the lion's share of the starts at second, however, with Ellis hitting only .100 since coming off the DL, don't be surprised to see Garcia split time with Ellis.

In addition to Wong's demotion, the Cardinals also sent down Shane Robinson and called up Randal Grichuk.  Grichuk was hitting .313/.356/.542 in AAA and will look to provide a spark off the bench.

Hopefully Wong's demotion will be short-term as he looks to get his stroke back.  However, it is good to have a veteran like Ellis available to plug into the void and hopefully either he or Garcia can provide the offense with a boost.

Catching up with the Cardinals

Well, as often happens with 3 kids and a demanding job, life got in the way of blogging the last couple weeks, so let's all catch up on what's happened during that time.

First, the Cardinals finalized their opening day roster, with the Spring Training Battles being decided, as follows:

5th Starter

Despite having a superior spring, Carlos Martinez was relegated to the bullpen, where his power arm was more desperately needed.  Joe Kelly "won" the 5th starter job, more on last season's performance than this spring's results, which is probably how it should be.

Bench

Thanks in part to an injury to Mark Ellis, both Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma made the opening day roster, along with 4th outfielder Shane Robinson. 

One of Descalso or Kozma will have to go when Ellis is healthy and, if the recent trade rumors are any indication, it will probably be Kozma. 

As for Robinson, he's likely just keeping the seat warm until Oscar Taveras, Stephen Piscotty or even Mike O'Neill is deemed ready to take over the 4th outfield spot. 

Bullpen

The battle for the last bullpen slot came down to Jorge Rondon and Keith Butler, with Butler winning the job.  However, with Jason Motte expected back in early May, it will be interesting to see what the Cards do. 

Will they send Martinez down to stretch him back out as a starter or will they keep him in the pen and jettison Butler?  My hope is that Martinez will be sent down, but the team may keep him up out of necessity, as it already appears that Mike Matheny has few relievers he trusts in the pen.

The Season so Far

With the roster set, the Cardinals have faced the Reds and Pirates in their first 6 games and come out of the road trip with a 3-3 record.  They return home to face the Reds and Cubs this week.

While not a bad road trip, the lack of offense so far is a little bit of a concern.  The Cardinals have scored only 17 runs in those 6 games, including 4 games where they have scored two runs or less.  Hopefully their bats will warm up with the weather.

Overall, not a bad start, but not great either.  Hopefully the Cardinals can make some noise on this 6-game home stand and carry the momentum going forward.

Bird's Eye View: Cardinals Season Preview

Each year, a group of us Cardinals bloggers puts together a newsletter that is e-mailed out before each series.  The bloggers take turns writing the newsletter, so you get a different style and viewpoint each time.

This year, we put together a season preview as well.  I did the writeup on the infield, while other bloggers discussed the lineup, outfield, bench, defense, starting pitching, bullpen, manager and front office.

Here's a sneak peak at my section:

The Cardinals infield underwent some significant changes over the winter, as the team looked to shore up its defense while also improving the offensive production from the shortstop position.  Here’s a position-by-position look at the Cards 2014 infield.

First Base

With the free agency departure of Carlos Beltran, Allen Craig moves to right field to replace him and Matt Adams steps into a full-time role at first base.  After hitting .284 with 17 homers in just 296 at bats, Cardinals fans are excited to see what numbers Adams can put up in a full season.

Second Base

The departure of David Freese caused the biggest shake-up, allowing Matt Carpenter to move to his natural third base position and opening the door for rookie Kolten Wong at second.  Wong didn’t hit much in his limited exposure to big league pitching last season (.153 in 59 at bats), but is a career .301/.365/.446 hitter in the minors.

Third Base

Matt Carpenter takes over at third for the departed Freese.  He hit .318/.392/.481 and finished 4th in the MVP voting last season.  His shift to third and the addition of Wong at second should greatly improve the Cardinals’ defense at those positions.

Shortstop

Obviously displeased with the offensive production they received from the shortstop position in 2013, which finished 13th in the league in OPS (.583), the Cardinals quickly addressed that issue in the offseason by signing Jhonny Peralta to a 4-year, $53 million contract.  While the Cards may lose a little bit defensively over the displaced Pete Kozma, Peralta, and his career .755 OPS, should make up for it offensively.

Utility

The Cardinals brought in second baseman Mark Ellis as an insurance policy for rookie Kolten Wong and holdovers Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma should back up the other positions.  The X factor is recently signed Cuban defector Aledmys Diaz.  Capable of playing second, third or short, he could replace Descalso or Kozma on the Cards bench when ready.

 

If you're interested in seeing the rest of the season preview as well as receiving the newsletter before each series, you can signup using the following link:

 

BEV Signup

 

Thanks and Go Cards!

Cardinals sign Aledmys Diaz. But where will he play?

According to Jennifer Langosch (and other) the Cardinals have signed infielder Aledmys Diaz to a major league deal.  The team did not release details, but it is believed to be for 4 years. 

This represents the biggest investment ever by the Cards in a Cuban player and while that is all fine and good, the first question I asked myself is where will he play?

According to scouts, Diaz is capable of playing second, third and short.  However, the Cardinals currently have Kolten Wong, Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta manning those positions.  Carpenter just received an extension from the Cards, which has him under team control through 2019.  Peralta was signed as a free agent through the 2017 and Wong is under team control through 2019.  So, there is no obvious spot for the young Cuban.

But there are some scenarios under which he could make an impact this season:

1.  Kolten Wong struggles

This is Wong's first full season in the majors.  He was a September callup last year and hit an uninspiring .153 in 59 at bats (small sample size rules apply).  However, he is a career .301/.365/.446 hitter in the minors.

He could hit the ground running or he could struggle in his first extended taste of the bigs.  If its the latter, look for Diaz to get the call.

2.  Someone gets injured

Obviously, the addition of Diaz gives the Cardinals some much needed infield depth.  Behind the starting 3, there is only Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma and Mark Ellis.  Ellis has only really played second base in his career and while Descalso and Kozma can play short, neither is a very good hitter.

Diaz would give the Cards a decent hitting backup to Wong, Carpenter or Peralta, should they get injured and would not be as big of a downgrade as Kozma or Descalso would be.

3. Trade

The Cardinals could decide to jettison one of their infielders for an upgrade elsewhere.  This doesn't seem likely though, as it appears that the Cards are committed to Carpenter, Peralta and Wong on the infield.

4.  Utility Infielder

This seems to be the most likely scenario.  With his ability to play 3 different positions, Diaz could become a better hitting version of Descalso.  Despite hitting a meager .238 with a .656 OPS last season, Descalso still managed to play in 123 games last season "earning" 328 at bats.  He played 39 games at second, 55 at short and 38 at third.

Diaz does not have a lot of pop, but he showed the ability to hit for average, batting .315/.404/.500 with 12 homers and 11 stolen bases in his last season in Cuba.  In fact, Diaz' presence could spell the end of Descalso's career with the Cards.

My guess is that the Cardinals will start Diaz in the minors to get him accustomed to American baseball.  Ones he proves himself, he will get called up to play a utility role. He could get significant playing time if there is an injury or Wong struggles, so I could see him getting around 300 at bats.

St. Louis Cardinals offseason moves and outlook

The Cardinals won the NL Central on their way to the NL championship and their second World Series appearance in the last 3 years before losing to the Red Sox in 6 games.  The Cardinals hope to continue that hot streak in 2014.

Key Losses

Carlos Beltran, John Axford, David Freese, Edward Mujica, Jake Westbrook, Fernando Salas

Key Acquisitions

Peter Bourjos, Jhonny Peralta, Mark Ellis

Coming off a NL championship, the Cardinals did not have many holes to fill this offseason.   GM John Mozeliak worked quickly to fill those holes, trading David Freese for Peter Bourjos and signing Jhonny Peralta before Thanksgiving.  Mo added Mark Ellis in December to complete the 2014 roster.

With the trade of Freese, the Cardinals greatly improved their overall defense.  Bourjos is a superior center fielder to Jon Jay and, with Freese gone, Matt Carpenter can move to his more natural third base position while making room at second for Kolten Wong.  Thus, with one move, the Cardinals improved their defense at 3 positions.

On the flip side, Peralta is a worse defender that the man he's replacing at short, Pete Kozma, however, the Cardinals are counting on his offense more than making up for that difference.

Besides those moves, the biggest change from 2013 is the loss of Carlos Beltran.  He will be replaced in right by Allen Craig, with Matt Adams taking over at first.  However, keep an eye on top prospect Oscar Taveras this spring as he could force his way into the Cardinals plans.

Yadier Molina and Matt Holliday will round out the lineup.  Molina continues to be a MVP caliber player each year with his offense, defense and leadership, while Holliday just continues to rake.

On the pitching side, Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn and Shelby Miller should make up 4/5ths of the starting rotation.  The Cardinals lost free agent Jake Westbrook, who ended up retiring this offseason, but the team has plenty of options to replace him.

Jaime Garcia is option number one for the Cards, should he prove to be healthy.  There are always concerns regarding pitchers coming off shoulder surgery, but the Cardinals could use a lefty in the rotation.

If he is not ready, then one of Carlos Martinez, Joe Kelly or Tyler Lyons could step in.  However, it seems more likely that Martinez will work out of the pen, while Kelly serves as the long man and Lyons starts the season at AAA.

In the pen, Trevor Rosenthal will handle the closer duties, after his stellar performance in the postseason.  Jason Motte is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will likely start the season on the DL.  Carlos Martinez, Kevin Siegrist, Seth Maness and Randy Choate will also work in relief.

Overall, with their abundance of young arms and improved offense and defense, the Cardinals should once again be the team to beat this year in the NL Central.

SHAMELESS PLUG

For you followers of this blog and Cardinals fans in general, be sure to check out this year's United Cardinals Bloggers annual "Purpose, Perseverance and Power Arms: The 2013 St. Louis Cardinals".  In this collection you'll find writing from 17 different Cardinals bloggers (including yours truly), plus a capsule on every player that wore the Birds on the Bat in 2013.  Not only that, but you'll get an overall look at what's to come in 2014. 

Purpose, Perseverance and Power Arms is available as an e-book at the Amazon Kindle store for $2.99.  The book can be read on any of the devices in the Kindle family as well as by downloading Amazon's free reading apps for your computer, tablet or smartphone.  It may also be read in your browser directly on Amazon.

Cardinals sign Mark Ellis as a $5.25 million insurance policy

The Cardinals announced the signing of second baseman Mark Ellis to a one-year, $5.25 million contract yesterday, which should all but conclude their Hot Stove League moves. 

Ellis, who will turn 37 next June, will head into the 2014 season as the Cardinals insurance policy for the unproven Kolten Wong. 

The second base job is Wong's to lose and he will likely be the Cards opening day starter at second.  However, should he falter, having Ellis as a backup plan will certainly help the team.

Ellis is a career .265/.330/.390 hitter across 11 MLB seasons and is generally considered a good defensive player.  However, what is more important is that Ellis has fared well against lefties in his career, posting a .276/.348/.429 career line against them.

Thus, should Wong, who is left handed, struggle against lefties, Ellis could form a nice platoon with him. 
 
What's more, Ellis does not show a significant drop off against righthanders, hitting .262/.324/.377 against them.  Thus, should Wong require more minor league seasoning, Ellis can certainly hold down the fort until he's ready.

Overall, its a nice signing by the Cardinals.  Sure, $5.25 million is not cheap for a backup player, but considering what else Ellis brings to the table, I feel its worth it.